Re: B&W or Colour

[Javier Longoria <javster1 -at- HOTMAIL -dot- COM>]

Suzanne Maloon wrote:

> This is strictly my own opinion (and of course, I have a million of them
> <ha>) but I think color manuals start looking real cheesy after awhile.

Have we forgotten that the purpose of any technical communication is to
communicate clearly?

The screen captures need to be in color in this case because that is
what end users will see on their computer screens. To publish them in
B&W would lessen the effectiveness of the documentation.

As for the rest of the document, color can be used sparingly as an
accent for special notes or callouts without looking "cheesy." If there
are some full-color documents that have seemed cheesy to Suzanne, that
is not an argument against color, but an argument for better use of
color.

Javier Longoria
Managing Editor
Circuits Assembly magazine
javster1 -at- hotmail -dot- com

--------------
subject: Re: B&W or Colour
Date:  Fri, 5 Sep 1997 08:24:52 -0700
From:  Suzanne Maloon <maloon -at- CDEPOT -dot- NET>
To:  TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU

> Leslie said:
>
> >My client is toying with the idea of print the entire manual
> >in colour (Cost is not an issue.) but, both of us are unsure
> >of whether this is a good idea.
>
> This is strictly my own opinion (and of course, I have a million of them
> <ha>) but I think color manuals start looking real cheesy after awhile.
> It's almost like they want to make up in looks what they lack in content
> (NOT saying your stuff lacks content, or even the ones I've seen.) I truly
> believe a black and white document can be formatted to be even more
> dramatic and eye catching than a color document. It's all in the fonts and
> the layouts.
>
> Suzanne Maloon, Consultant
>
> maloon -at- cdepot -dot- net
> 215 Mason Street
> Jackson, CA  95642
> 209-223-1011
>
> ----------
> | From: Leslie McKendry-Smith <McKendrySmith -at- MBNET -dot- MB -dot- CA>
> | To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> | Subject: B&W or Colour
> | Date: Friday, September 05, 1997 7:55 AM
> |
> | My client and I are on " the horns of a dilemma" and need
> | advice on whether or not to print a user's guide in colour
> | or B&W.
> |
> | Here's the situation...
> |
> | I have written a user's guide for a remote control and
> | monitoring application that runs in Window.  The manual
> | contains screen snapshots of each window and dialog box as
> | well as examples of the application's tool icons.
> |
> | The developers used colour in the interface to reinforce
> | messages. For example, the background of a high priority
> | alarm message would be red.  Colour is also used to show
> | whether or not a remote device is connected to the network.
> |
> | Now the problem...
> |
> | My client is toying with the idea of print the entire manual
> | in colour (Cost is not an issue.) but, both of us are unsure
> | of whether this is a good idea.
> |
> | On the positive side, I think that colour printing would
> | demonstrate how colour is used to in the application.
> |
> | On the negative side, I worry that page after page of colour
> | graphics would distract readers and after a while lose its
> | impact.
> |
> | What do you think?  Are there other advantages or
> | disadvantages?  Does anyone know of any usability research
> | results on using colour in user's guides.
> |
> | I subscribe to the digest version, so I'd appreciate it if
> | you responded directly to me.  I'd be happy to post a
> | summary of responses later next week.
> |
> | Thanks,
> |
> | Leslie McKendry-Smith
> |
> |
> | ______________________________________________
> | Leslie McKendry-Smith     mckendry -at- mbnet -dot- mb -dot- ca
> | Documents OnLine Technical Writing Services
> | http://www.mbnet.mb.ca/~mckendry/doconlin/
> |
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